Yes. Family members can play your digital Nintendo games either on the same console where the virtual game card is loaded, or—if they use a separate console—by borrowing an eligible virtual game card through Nintendo’s family-group lending feature. Separate-console lending has limits: the consoles must be nearby and online to set it up, and the loan ends after 14 days unless returned or retrieved sooner.
Choose the sharing method for your setup
| Setup | How access works | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone plays on the same console | Load the virtual game card on that console; other users there can play the game or DLC. | No separate loan to each user is needed. Once loaded, the game can be played offline. |
| A family member plays on a separate console | Lend an eligible virtual game card to someone in the purchaser’s Nintendo Account family group. | The consoles need to be nearby and online during lending. The owner cannot play the lent card until it is returned or retrieved. |
| The purchasing account plays on another console | Use Nintendo’s Online License option, which is separate from lending. | The purchasing account must be online, and other users on that console cannot play the game through that license. |
Nintendo’s Virtual Game Card Guide explains that a loaded card can be played by other users on its console, including while offline. Lending does not create another purchase: the digital game remains tied to the Nintendo Account that bought it.
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How to lend a game to a family member on another console
- Confirm that the borrower is in the same Nintendo Account family group as the account that purchased the game.
- Bring both consoles close to each other and connect them to the internet. Nintendo requires proximity and an internet connection to complete lending.
- Open the Virtual Game Cards menu on the owner’s console, choose the eligible card, and use the lending option to select the family member.
- Have the borrower accept the loan on their console. Once the card is loaded there, the borrower can play the game during the loan period.
Menu labels or steps can vary with system software, so consult Nintendo’s current Virtual Game Card Guide if the on-screen options differ. Nintendo notes that some games are not eligible to lend.
Limits, duration, and what happens to the owner’s access
- Loan period: Each loan automatically ends after 14 days. Either person can return the card sooner, and the lender can retrieve it early under Nintendo’s stated conditions.
- Cards lent at once: An owner can lend up to three virtual game cards at a time.
- Borrowing limit: A borrower can borrow one card at a time, and a console can receive only one borrowed card at a time.
- Console family-group restriction: Under Nintendo’s guide, a console with users who belong to multiple different Nintendo Account family groups cannot receive a borrowed card.
- Game and DLC: Some games cannot be lent. DLC purchased with a lent game is lent with it.
- Owner’s access: The owner cannot play a card while it is lent out; access returns when the card is returned or retrieved.
These are Nintendo’s operating rules, not independent usage statistics. The support guidance does not display a publication date; check the current Nintendo guide and the specific title’s eligibility because rules and compatibility may change with software updates.
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Virtual game cards, Online License, and console counts
Nintendo says an account can load virtual game cards on up to two consoles. Other users on a console can play cards loaded there. This is different from Online License play: for that option, the purchasing account must be online, and other console users cannot play through the license. It is not a substitute for family-group lending when another person needs access on a separate console. See Nintendo’s account FAQ for its guidance on playing digital games on other consoles.
Switch 2 and Switch compatibility
Nintendo supports lending compatible virtual game cards between family members using Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch consoles. A Switch 2 can share compatible games with either system type, and a Switch can receive games shared locally by a Switch 2. That does not mean every game works across both systems or can be lent; check compatibility and lending eligibility for the particular title in Nintendo’s guide.
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Game access does not move save data
Lending makes the game available; it does not transfer the borrower’s or owner’s save data. Nintendo separately documents save-data transfers between consoles and Save Data Cloud Backup for supported games. Cloud backup requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership, but a membership is not required just to borrow a game. Check Nintendo’s save-data transfer instructions and Save Data Cloud information for the options available to your game and consoles.
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